Controlling device for pumps



ly 20,1943. A. J. STEPANOFF 2,32 650 CONTROLLING DEVICE F512 PUMPS I Filed April 15, 1941. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Alexey rIJfgaanofi BY H l5 ATTORNEY.

July 20, 1943.

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR PUMPS Filed April 15, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

INVENTOR 2 Alex ms ATTORNEY A. J. sTEPA oFF 2,324,650

Patented July 20, 1943 2,324,650 oon'raomne navroa FOR PUMPS Alexey J. Stepanoff, Easton, Pa., assignor to In- .gersoll-Rand Company, New York, N. Y., a corporatlon of New Jersey Application April 15, 1941, Serial No. 388,583

2 Claims.

This invention relates to pumps, and more particularly to a controlling device for pumps of the centrifugal type.

One objectof the invention is to selectively vary the impelling effect of the pump in accordance with immediate of operation.

In the upper support member 3| is a bearing I 33 for a shaft 34 that may be secured in suitable requirements or conditions A more specific object is to avoid overloading the motor driving the pump when operating the pump at reduced capacity.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the drawings accompanying this spe'ciflca- A tion and in which similar reference numerals refer to similar parts,

Figure 1 is an elevation of a centrifugal pump equipped with a controlling device constructed in accordance with the practice of the invention 'and a foundation shown in section to support the pump, j

Figure 2 is an elevation, partly in section, showing an enlarged view of the pump,

Figure 3 is a transverse view taken through Figure 2 on the line 3--3, and

Figure 4 is an elevation, in section, taken through Figure 3 on the line 4-4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and at first to Figure 1, the pump designated,

in general, by 20 is shown extending into a pit 2| defined by a foundation 22 for removing liquid 23. r

The casing 24 of the pumpis formed in sections, a number of which lie within the pit 2|, and one section, designated 25, lies above the pit 2| and is provided with 'a'suitable flange 26 to seat upon the foundation 22.. The casing section 25, moreover, serves asa seat for amotor 2 1,

only the casing of which is shown.

The pump is of the vertical type and the lowermost end 28 of the casing 24 is flared outwardly to define an inlet opening 29 for the 7 passage of liquid from the pit 2| into the casing 24. The pump is also provided with a suitable outlet conduit 30 shown as leading from th casing section 25.

- Arranged within the casing 24 and in coaxial relationship therewith is a series of supportmember 3|, three in the present instance, for

manner to the shaft (not shown) of the motor 21. The shaft 34 terminates between the upper and intermediate support members 3|. Its lower 'end portion 35 is of reduced diameter and extends into a hub 36 locked to the shaft 34 by a key 31 and held against endwise movement by a nut 38 on the lower end of the shaft 34.

The hub 36 consists of two arts of which one is inthe form of a sleeve 3 in direct engagement with the shaft 34. The other part is in the formof a box '40 of cylindrical shape having an introverted flange 4| at one end that seats against a flange 42 on the periphery of the sleeve 39 and is secured thereto by bolts 43. .The hub 36, supports the vanes 44 of the pump. The sleeve 39'and the box are, respectively, provided' with radially extending apertures .45 and 46 to accommodate trunnions 41 on the vanes 44, and between each trunnion 41 and associated vane 44 is a collar 48 that-lies in a recess 43 in the peripheral surface of the box 4|).

The lowermost end of the box 40 is covered by a plate 50 secured to the box by bolts 5|. and on said plate is a depending hollow stem 52 that forms a continuation of the pump shaft. The, stem 52 is journalled in a bearing 53 in the inter-v mediate support member 3| and carries, at its lower end, a hub 54 similar in all essential re-" spects to the hub carried bythe shaft 34 to accommodate a second group of vanes 44 constituting, in the present instance, a first impelling stage. The lower end of the box 40 of the hub 54 is also suitably sealed by a cover plate 55 held in position by bolts 56.

The trunnions 41 are rotatable in the apertures and 45 to change the angular relation.- ship of the vanes with respect to the path of flow ofthe fluid being pumped in order to vary the impelling effect of the vanes. This rotational movement of the vanes is effected by suit able devices; preferably actuated manually and operating in such-wise that all the vanes of the several impelling stages will be rotated about their axes in unison.

the rotary elements of the pump and said support members are connected to the casing 24 by ribs 32.- The support members are of generally cyli'n drical shape and as a preferred arrangement, the upper .and lower support members are tapered, respectively, toward the corresponding.

ends of the pump.

The connections between the vanes and the device or devices serving to rotate them are also preferably of such nature as to causeall of the vanes to be rotated in equal degree, irrespective of the number of impelling stages. In furtherance of these ends, each trunnion 41 is provided with a collar 5] that lies within'the box 40 and is secured to the trunnion by a pin 58 that also secures in position a sleeve 59 encasing the trunnion.

Each collar 51 carries a crank pin 60 having an end extending into a slot 6| in a hollow block 62 slidable upon the sleeve 39. The blocks 62 are rotatable with the pump shaft and such movement is imparted to them by the sleeves 59 which extend through apertures 63 in the blocks 62. The apertures 63 are of oblong'shape to permit of endwise movement of the blocks with respect to the shaft but are only of sufficiently greater width than the diameters of the sleeves 69 to enable the blocks 62 to move freely without binding upon said sleeves.

The blocks 62 are connected together by a rod 64 on the uppermost block 62 extending through the'hollow stem 52 and having a screw portion 66 at its lower end for threaded engagement with the block 62 in the hub 54. The latter block 62 also has a depending rod portion, designated 66, that is journalled in a bearing 61 inserted in the lowermost support member 3|. The upper end of the bearing 61 projects above the support member 3| and is encircled by a flange 68 on the plate 66 to prevent thefree flow of liquid to them-- operating surfaces of the rod 66 and the bearing 61.

The means employed for shifting the blocks 62 to rotate the vanes 44 include a lever 69 lying across the lower end of the pump casing 24 and having an end pivotally connected thereto by a pin I0. In the intermediate portion of th lever 69 and in the axial plane of the pump is a pin 1| seated in the end of a rod 12 which lies in the adjacent support member 3| and the. bearing 61.

' The rod 12 is split longitudinally and the parts thus formed are secured together by a screw 13. Within the rod 12 is a bore 14 for the accom- 'modation of a stem 15 on the lower end of the rod 66. The stem 15 is preferably integral with the rod 66 and has an enlargement 16 at its lower end that lies in an enlarged portion TI of the bore 14 for locking the rod 12 against endwise movement on the rod 66. The stem 15 is freely rotatable within the rod 12 which is held against such movement by the pin 1| and the lever 69.

In order to impart rocking movement to the lever 69 the free end of said lever is pivotally connected, as by a pin I8, to a rod 19 ,extending upwardly" along the exterior of the casing 24. On the upper end of the rod 19 is arack 6|] that meshes with a pinion 8|, supported by a bearing 82, and being provided with a hand wheel 63 for rotating it. A suitable locking device (not shown) may be provided to cooperate with the rod 19, or with the rotary-unit comprising the pinion 8| and the hand wheel, to prevent unauthorized movement of the train of elements used for rotating the vanes '44.

In order that the cooperating surfaces of the stationary and movable parts of the controlling device may at all times be provided with a plentiful supply of oil the rods 64 and 66 are provided,

respectively, with passages 84 and 85. The passage 84 supplies oil to the cooperating surfaces of the upper block 62 and the sleeve 39 and through the natural clearance between these elebore 14 by a conduit 81 having a flexible portion 88 connected to the rod 12 to communicate with the enlarged portion 11 of the bore I4. The conduit 81 extends upwardly along the exterior of the casing 24 to a conveniently accessible point above the flange 26 and may be connected to an oil reservoir and, if desired, to an oil metering device, neither of which are shown.

The operation of the device is as follows: Whenever it is desired to change the pitch of the vanes the free end of the lever .69 is raised or lowered by rotating the pinion 8|, to cause the blocks 62 to move upwardly or downwardly, depending upon whether it be intended to increase or decrease the pumping effect of the vanes. Thismovement of the blocks 62 will be transmitted through the crank pins 68 to the collars 51 and thus to the vanes for rotating them to a desired position.

In practice, the present invention has been found to be a highly desirable device for preventing the overloading of the motor driving the pump as, for example, when starting the pump against a closed discharge system. By rendering the vanes of the pump adjustable, in the manner herein described, they may be positioned to exert little or no pumping force during the initial efprising a casing having inlet and outlet open-- ings, a rotary shaft in the casing, a hollow extension on the shaft to form a continuation of the shaft, a plurality of hubs spaced along the length of the hollow extension each having a group of vanes connected rotatably thereto, means for securing one hub to the shaft, bearings within the casing for the shaft and the hollow extension, means reciprocable in the hollow extension and the hubs for rotating the vanes to vary their impelling eifect, means extending through the free end of the extension for actuating the second mentioned means, and a bearing in the easing to guide the last mentioned means.

2. A controlling device fora rotary pump, comprising a casing having inlet and outlet openings, a rotary shaft in the casing, a hub on the shaft having a group of vanes connected rotatably thereto, a hollow extension on the hub to form a continuation of the shaft, a hub on the hollow extension having a group of vanes connected r0- tatably thereto, bearings for the shaft and the hollow extension, means reciprocable in the hubs and the hollow extension to rotate the groups of vanes for varying their impelling effect, and means on the casing for actuating'the first mentioned means.

ALEXEY J. STEPANOFF.

Suitable branch passages 86 also 

